| Overall Grade: |
A |
|
| Story: |
B+ |
|
|
| Acting: |
A |
|
|
| Direction: |
A+ |
|
|
| Visuals: |
B |
|
|
Dark Geopolitical Thriller Hits Its Mark
by Kelly (movies profile)
Feb 15, 2008
235
of
288 people found this review helpful
Syriana.
Go see it.
If you've read a single Clancy novel, the storytelling style will be immediately familiar within the first few minutes of the film. You are exposed to several different storylines, each disconnected from each other at first -- but you know that they will come together in an explosive crash. Where? When? How? The result? These questions are what hooks us. What keeps your attention as you actively work out the details and attempt to figure out how everything will come together.
The story is nothing new in scope, and the substance of the film itself will not yield many surprise revelations. It's been tackled before, at least in print (and ad nauseum at that). What stands out is the delivery. The sequences were perfectly crafted and ordered to keep our attention from beginning to end, without exception. Even when there is enough to figure out how a particular plot line will play out, the actual resolution will come with an added and unexpected twist (reminiscent of our old friend Mr. Sherlock Holmes, who always solved the puzzle using a bit of information that we could never have acquired).
Acting performances left nothing to be desired. There is not a single flaw in any performance. During the earlier segments, some of the characters' personalities, looks, etc., just seemed a bit off to me. I'm specifically referring to the Damon character and some of those around him. Don't worry. We come to realize how things could have been in the end. Sheesh, it's tough writing these things without giving away anything.
Warning: this movie requires some serious concentration and alertness to follow. It's not necessarily that the plot is complicated, it's the way it's delivered -- in piecemeal. [Seemingly] crucial pieces to the puzzle can be divulged in low whispers. I had trouble hearing a few [seemingly] critical lines -- since you will (or should) find yourself actively attempting to piece together what's going on, missing one line between two key players can easily make you feel like you totally missed something crucial. Don't despair, it all comes together at the end.
Warning2: I had high expectations for this movie. I think they were met. I think. But they were not met in the way in which I expected them to be met. Just as the previews for Jarhead might have led you to expect a completely different movie than what was delivered, the same might have happened here. This is a dark, dark movie. Don't expect a feel-good one. You were warned. |
My Public Profile 
